Some questions that men and women have been seeking answers to for centuries are: Where did I come from before this life? Why am I here on earth? Where am I going after I leave this life?  Is there something I need to be doing or learning while I'm here in mortality?  As missionaries and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are often asked these questions.  Our responses to the second question narrow to what the Lord has revealed through His prophets in latter days, as well as in times of old: We are here to gain a physical body and to be tested to see if we can be faithful to Him through trials and challenges we face here on earth (Abraham 3:24-26).

 

Our mission has been our opportunity to invite others to come unto Christ and to share what we know to be true concerning the resurrected Lord, His restored gospel and priesthood, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, the importance of keeping His commandments, and how all of these things can lead us back to Him.  Not all at once, but a little at a time, as we are able to grasp and instill within our lives.

 

 One of the couples we have a chance to share in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ is Elder and Sister Davis (Logan, Utah) who have been in Newfoundland for most of their mission and are now assigned to the mission office.  Sister Davis was one of Elder Tiffany's students the first year he taught school at Logan High School.

Our son Brad and his fiancée Nancy were here to visit us two weeks ago.  Brad was born here and hasn't been back since we visited here in the '80s.  He and Nancy are going numb while they get their picture taken standing in the freezing North Atlantic.

 

Sis. Tiff's brother Milford, his wife Ruby, her sister Dot, and our friend Melissa were at our place for dinner while Brad and Nancy were here.

Ruby, Nancy, Brad, Milford after a great dinner!

The Kitchen Wizard in her small but very convenient food preparation area.  EVERYBODY loves it when she performs here.

Canadian Thanksgiving occurs on the second Monday of October.  Brad and Nancy happened to be here at that time and we spent the weekend with family in Liverpool.  This dinner was actually on the day before.

Sylvia and Albert (Sis. T's brother) were very excited to have a visit with Brad and Nancy after so many years away.

It was a beautiful day at Summerville Beach, one of our favorite spots when we lived and visited here.

Kevin (with his wife Sherry) is Albert's son.  If we want to know what Brad will look like in ten years we look at Kevin.

As we travel around the province we keep seeing this guy, or one of his family.  His name is F. I. ReHydrant, and most of his family look just like him, all dressed exactly the same.

A Roy family pastime is being observed here.  Don't interrupt!  We had dinner on Thanksgiving day at Clayton and Karen's (our niece) home.  With her is Nora and her dad David (our nephew).

Aunt Helen is one of Brad's biggest fans.  She hasn't seen Brad since he was about 8 years old, and she was overjoyed to have this reunion with him.

Eric Weed is the seminary teacher for the Halifax Ward while attending dental school at Dalhousie University.  Eric is actually from Utah, attending school here for 4 years, with his wife and children to keep him company.

This is Eric's seminary class, and they're all pretty good participants.  He meets with them once a week and they do online work with him the other days.

In Nova Scotia lobster season is year-round, somewhere along the coast.  It's quite inexpensive here, compared to Utah prices, but very fresh and tasty.  This was part of a thank-you meal Brad and Nancy prepared for us.

Megan Coish joined the church about 4 months ago, and about 10 days before this picture brought Lillian into the world.  She's a wonderful young woman who has been attending the YSA Branch with us and we've spent a lot of time with her.

Bro. Bill and Sis. Alice Green serve at the temple with us and are a very fun and delightful couple.  There home is in Newfoundland but they're living in Dartmouth. we have fun trying to translate what he says in his Newfunese language.

Sisters Laxton (No. Carolina) and Renda (Herriman, Utah) have been assigned to the YSA branch and are really spiritual and energetic young ladies.  Sis. Renda was in the MTC in Provo, Utah, just four days ago!

Elders Clark and Nzojibwami (both from Alberta) are newly assigned to the YSA branch also, as well as being the assistants to the mission president.  They are real fireballs and very spiritual giants.  We love working with them and the sisters.

The colors are just beginning to fade.  These pictures were taken two weeks ago, and the whole province looks just like this - taken along the river towards Sis. Tiffany's family's home.

This is the scene behind Lil and John's home (Sis. T's sister and brother-in-law).

What we see from our apartment window in Halifax.

Brad and Nancy at Summerville Beach.  We really loved having them visit and to give Nancy a taste of where Brad used to live.

Brad had a special attachment to Nannie and Bompie Roy, as he spent his first three and a-half years with them.  This was his first opportunity to visit their gravesite and to pay his respects and love to them.

 

As we sojourn through this life, let us focus more on what we can do for and with others, and less on ourselves.  If we want to get to Heaven, let us make sure we do what we can to help others to get there, through our loving acts of kindness and compassion.  Family is so much more important than things.  We'll probably never see a U-Haul trailer on the back of a hearse.  As a latter-day prophet has said: "Man's earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make as his life's end and purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities" (David O. McKay).

 

"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:36-39)

Our lesson this week at the Dalhousie University Institute class was on the Atonement.  This was a hard one to pull together, because the subject is so all-encompassing.  There is nothing in the life of any mortal who has ever lived, worlds without number, that it doesn't affect.  To help the students to allow this doctrine of Christ sink deeper into their hearts, to help them gain a greater love and appreciation of the Father and the Son, became a challenge to narrow down to a one hour session.  In our recent CES broadcast, Elder Nelson reminded us that we will all stand before the Father to account for our mortal existence.  He asked how we are preparing for this interview with God?  What behaviors and characteristics are present in our own lives that would indicate we are earnestly preparing for this interview?  In his book The Continuous Atonement, Brad Wilcox says, "The Atonement must be used to escape sin and be comfortable with God rather than trying to escape God and be comfortable with sin."

Speaking of institute classes, this is Bill and Julie Haas.  Julie is our wonderful secretary for the Church Educational System in Atlantic Canada.  She keeps all the teachers and coordinator coordinated.  They are a really great couple, and we love them both.

Rick Cartier, our CES Coordinator, instructs the Friday evening class on The Book of Mormon, at the Halifax chapel.

We used to meet in the chapel, but decided to set up a "classroom" in the cultural hall, so the students are more into class discussion and closer to the teacher for greater interaction.

Sister and Elder Tiffany were hostess and host to Elder and Sister Tiffany.  Elder T's brother and sister-in-law, Dixon and Rosemary, recently returned from their mission in Chuuk (an island in Guam).  They visited us to see beautiful Atlantic Canada and to see what missionary life is like here.

We assured them we don't spend every week this way, and always try to have a gospel conversation with someone while out and about.

Of course we had to take them to Peggy's Cove - where else?!  While there, we had our picture taken with the Piper. 

 

Here we have them standing at the base of the famous lighthouse of Peggy's Cove.

One of the beautiful spots on the south shore of Nova Scotia is Chester Basin.  This picture is looking over the coastline from Haddon Hill, a spot where Pres. and Mrs. Clinton came for some "high level" meetings back in the '90s.  Dixon is the baby brother of the family - is there any resemblance?

We were able to get a picture of some royalty at the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival, standing here with some representations of someone from Great Britain.

The Lunenburg Academy is a very old structure used for many years as the schoolhouse for the village.  It is a well-known building and has been used in some TV commercials and movies.  It is now open only for tours and a few rooms for office space.  We were able to share a gospel message with our tour guide and a secretary.

Some of the "school rules" of Lunenburg Academy.

Class is in session with Elder Tiffany in a student's desk instead of standing at the front, looking cross-eyed and trying to control his pupils.

During the same week of the Tiffany's visit, we had the opportunity to spend time with Bruce and Susie Cameron, good friends visiting from California with Melissa O'Connor.

James Aulenbach is one of the most talented keyboard musicians ever.  He and Elder T served in church callings together when we lived here in the 1970s.  He is requested to play at many events and churches on a constant basis.  He gave us a private concert at this Anglican Church in Lunenburg, where many movies are filmed.  He plays here almost every week. 

James at the organ.

The interior of the church is absolutely beautiful.  The building was almost totally destroyed by fire a few years ago, but has been rebuilt and is the pride of the entire community.

On this altar at the front of the chapel is carved the scene of the Last Supper.

The invited guests of this special organ recital - the Camerons, Melissa, the Tiffanys, and Sis. Tiffany.

The baptismal font of the church.

We had the opportunity to visit with Lil, while Dixon and Rosemary were here.  Of course we had to eat, and loved the time with Lil and her family.

This happened to be Dixon's birthday, so we sang and watched him put everything he had into blowing out the three candles.  We won't say how old he is but each candle represented 21 years of his life.

We visited John, our brother-in-law, at his room in the hospital.  He looks really good and was in great spirits when we saw him.  We really love this guy.

This is another one of those utility boxes in the area.  This is a depiction of Halifax from across one of the bridges at night.  We wish all municipalities did this with their utility boxes, instead of leaving them open for graffiti, which we rarely see on them.

Our brother-in-law, Milford, his wife Ruby, and her sister Dot, wanted "Breakfast at Tiffany's", so we invited them over one Saturday morning.  Sister T, once again, served up a delicious meal.

If it seems like we have a lot of company, we do.  Sister Tiffany is a great hostess and was once given a blessing that she would have a lot of guests in her home, and we do. Elder T just stands in the back and waits to "gofer" what is needed to help make the visit pleasant, and do whatever physical moves need to be made to be a complete success.  Nothing fancy, just friendly.

 

When we arrived, the mission president told us to make friends, don't get into trouble, don't cause trouble, and leave a good impression.  We've fed and entertained many people - in and out of the church, some from right off the streets, and it has been fun and most often a spiritual boost to ourselves and guests alike.  We feel very blessed to be able to serve in this way, and pray that we've brought some closer to their Savior.